Here is your SEC Recap for April 30th.
#7 Arkansas 9 Auburn 4
FAYETTEVILLE – For the second time in three starts, Drew Smyly tossed a complete game to lead the No. 7 University of Arkansas baseball team to a 9-4 win over Auburn Friday night at Baum Stadium. Arkansas (35-8, 14-5 SEC) fell behind early but Brett Eibner jumpstarted the Razorback offense in the fifth inning with his 15th home run of the season and Collin Kuhn drove in the game-winning run in the sixth. Despite the threat of rain, an announced-crowd of 7,246 fans witnessed the come-from-behind victory.
"Smyly did an excellent job," head coach Dave Van Horn said. "I feel lucky that we didn’t give up more than two runs in the inning that we gave him five outs, but he was definitely the key from the fourth inning on."
#13 South Carolina 9 Alabama 7
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Brady Thomas connected with a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning lifting South Carolina to a 9-7 victory over Alabama on Friday night at Carolina Stadium. The win improves Carolina to 33-8 and 15-4 in the SEC while the loss drops the Crimson Tide to 27-16 and 8-11 in conference play. Game two of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday and will be televised on CSS and ESPN3.com. It can also be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network.
Thomas, who entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, was in a full count against Alabama reliever Nathan Kilcrease and drilled a pitch over the right center field wall for his fifth home run of the season breaking open the celebration at home plate for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina Recap
Alabama Recap
#17 Ole Miss 4 Mississippi State 2
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Brett Huber picked up his sixth save of the season as he struck out five batters and allowed only two hits in 2.0 innings of work to help lead No. 14 Ole Miss (31-13, 12-7 SEC) to a 4-2 win over Mississippi State (20-21, 5-14 SEC) on Friday night.
Starter Drew Pomeranz worked 6.1 innings and allowed one run on five hits with 11 strikeouts and a walk, but took no decision as he left the game with the score tied at one in the seventh. Matt Tracy (3-2) picked up the win in relief as he worked 0.2 innings and allowed one run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
Ole Miss Recap
Mississippi State Recap
#18 Vanderbilt 17 Georgia 5
NASHVILLE — Vanderbilt’s offense pounded out 13 hits and used another quality start by Taylor Hill to cruise past Georgia 17-5 Friday night at Hawkins Field.
The Commodores snapped a three-game losing streak and scored more runs in tonight’s game than they have in five of their first six Southeastern Conference series (Kentucky- 18 in three games). The 17 runs were also the most scored in a conference series opener since scoring 17 against Georgia in 1992.
Vanderbilt Recap
Georgia Recap
Kentucky 12 Tennessee 8
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Taylor Black had his first career multi-homer game, finishing with a career-high five RBI, as the Kentucky baseball team belted six home runs and posted a 12-8 series-opening victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, in front of 1,918 fans on a gorgeous Friday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Black was incredible offensively and defensively for Kentucky, ending the game 2-for-4 with a career-high five RBI and helping turn two slick double plays to get UK out of middle-inning jams. The native of Easley, S.C., now has seven homers on the year and 28 RBI. Kentucky exploded with six homers in the game, marking the most for UK since belting six jacks against Butler in 2008. UK got a three-run shot from senior Marcus Nidiffer and solo shots from senior Gunner Glad and juniors Chris Bisson and Lance Ray. Nidiffer finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. The native of Bristol, Tenn., belted his sixth homer of the year and brought home his 20th RBI. Bisson, Kentucky’s All-American second baseman, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and RBI in the contest while Glad and Ray went 1-for-5 with Glad gathering one RBI and Ray, who extended his hitting streak to a team-high seven games, had two RBI.
Kentucky Recap
Tennessee Recap
#10 Florida 7 #11 LSU 0 (Suspended/Bottom 5)
Friday night’s series opener between No. 6 Florida (28-11/12-6 SEC) and No. 9 LSU (32-10/11-7 SEC) at McKethan Stadium was suspended in the bottom of the fifth with the Gators holding a 7-0 lead due to heavy rains and unplayable field conditions. The teams will play the regularly-scheduled game at 2 p.m., live on ESPNU, and then pick up tonight’s contest 30 minutes following the completion of the game.
